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Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Kill List (2012) in Movies

Sep 7, 2018

Kill List (2012)

2012 | Horror, Mystery

6.3

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Performances are strong (1 more)

Gruesome and Violent in a very effective way

The ending is very divisive (1 more)

Lots of elements are left unexplained

Intense, memorable but lacks clarity

Contains spoilers, click to show

Kill List is a very British Horror, that follows a clearly damaged ex-soldier that is drawn into the world of hit-men and assassinations in order to earn his way out of financial trouble.

Featuring a number of recognizable British tv actors, and a interesting edit style that chops out extraneous seconds here there and everywhere, often overlaying conversational narrative over a shot displaying a different scene, effectively giving you two informational elements at the same time.

It has some brutal violence, as the two hitman proceed to move down their list discovering generally bad people, which allows the viewer to avoid the moral conflict that might otherwise complicate the premise.

There are nods that the people hiring them know more than they are letting on, and the film builds to a slightly confusing crescendo with an ending similar to another very controversial horror film of recent years, that will shock some and disappoint others.

Overall it is an enjoyable but challenging film, that would have benefited from signposting a few more of the confusing elements more clearly, though the ending and its insinuations are more than likely intended to be of a vague and open nature by design.

Violent, upsetting and very dark in theme, Kill List is definitely a horror, and definitely not one for those of a weak constitution...it is flawed, and not a classic but it certainly is a solid choice for a rainy evening.